NIASPAN and flushing
When taking NIASPAN® you may experience a common treatment effect known as flushing. There are some simple tips that may help you manage flushing.
Flushing happens when tiny blood vessels near the surface of the skin open wider. Many patients describe flushing as warmth, redness, itching or tingling of the skin. It mostly occurs on the face and upper body. Flushing feels different for everyone.
You may experience flushing when you first begin taking NIASPAN or when your doctor increases your dose. Many patients who continue taking NIASPAN notice that flushing lessens after several weeks.
What you can do
If you are experiencing flushing or stomach upset from NIASPAN, consider these 4 simple tips that may help you:
- Take aspirin (up to the recommended dose of 325 mg) 30 minutes before you take NIASPAN to help reduce the frequency and severity of flushing. (Just check with your doctor first.)
- Avoid alcohol, hot beverages (including coffee), and spicy foods near the time you take your NIASPAN to help reduce your chance of flushing.
- Take NIASPAN at bedtime so flushing will most likely occur during sleep.
- Take NIASPAN with a low-fat snack to lessen upset stomach.
Keep these simple tips with you as a reminder when taking NIASPAN. Download and print our tips (PDF).
What you should remember
Although flushing does not affect everyone in the same way, there are some things you should keep in mind.
- If you are experiencing flushing and need to stand, take your time.
- If you wake up at night because of flushing, get up slowly, especially if you:
- — feel dizzy or faint
- — take blood pressure medicines
- The flushing may lessen over time with consistent use as your body adjusts to the medication.
Some patients may mistake the symptoms of flushing with those of a heart attack. Talk to your doctor about how these symptoms differ from one another.
Additional common side effects
Other common side effects of NIASPAN use may include headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, increased cough, and itching. If you begin experiencing these side effects, contact your doctor. However, you should not stop taking NIASPAN without talking to your doctor first.
Important Safety Information and Uses You Should Know About
NIASPAN® (niacin extended-release tablets)
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION for NIASPAN
NIASPAN is not for people with liver problems, stomach ulcers, serious bleeding problems, or those allergic to any product ingredient.
Severe liver damage can occur when switching to a long-acting niacin (NIASPAN) from immediate-release niacin. Do not switch between forms of niacin without talking to your health care provider.
Tell your health care provider about any unexplained muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, as this could be a sign of a serious side effect. This risk may be increased when NIASPAN is taken with a statin, particularly in the elderly, diabetics, and those with kidney or thyroid problems.
NIASPAN should be used with caution if you consume large amounts of alcohol and/or have a past history of liver disease.
Your health care provider should do blood tests before and during treatment to check liver enzyme levels, as these may increase with treatment.
Tell your health care provider if you have kidney problems, or a history of gout. NIASPAN may cause an increase in uric acid levels.
NIASPAN may cause an increase in blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar levels more frequently during the first few months or with NIASPAN dose changes.
The most common side effects with NIASPAN are flushing, headache, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, increased cough, and itching.
Flushing (warmth, redness, itching, and/or tingling of the skin) is a common side effect of niacin therapy that may get better after several weeks of consistent NIASPAN use. It may vary in severity and is more likely to happen when starting NIASPAN or during dose increases. Talk to your doctor about how the symptoms of flushing are different from symptoms of a heart attack. By dosing at bedtime, flushing will likely occur during sleep. If awakened by flushing, get up slowly, especially if feeling dizzy or faint, or taking blood pressure medications.
If you are taking another cholesterol medication called a bile acid-binding resin (e.g., colestipol, cholestyramine) along with NIASPAN, take these medicines at least 4 to 6 hours apart.
Some medicines should not be taken with NIASPAN. Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including aspirin, any cholesterol medication, blood pressure medication, or blood thinner medication, or any products containing niacin or nicotinamide.
USES for NIASPAN® (niacin extended-release tablets)
NIASPAN is a prescription medication used along with diet when a low-cholesterol diet and exercise alone are not enough.
NIASPAN raises HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides in people with abnormal cholesterol levels.
NIASPAN is also used to lower the risk of heart attack in people who have had a heart attack and have high cholesterol.
In people with coronary artery disease and high cholesterol levels, NIASPAN, when used with a bile acid-binding resin (another cholesterol medicine), can slow down or lessen the build up of plaque (fatty deposits) in your arteries.
NIASPAN can be used in combination with lovastatin or simvastatin to improve abnormal cholesterol levels when taking NIASPAN, simvastatin, or lovastatin alone is not enough.
No additional benefit of NIASPAN on heart disease has been demonstrated when used with simvastatin or lovastatin over that shown for niacin, simvastatin, or lovastatin alone.
For more information, talk with your health care provider.
Please see the full Prescribing Information for NIASPAN and discuss it with your health care provider.
Reference: NIASPAN [package insert]. North Chicago, IL: Abbott Laboratories
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
If you cannot afford your medication, contact: www.pparx.org or call the toll-free phone number 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669) for assistance.